Sick abroad with no insurance. Please be nice, I know I'm a dumbass

[ABroadAbroadandill]

Am on a European citibreak with DP. Arrived on Friday. I felt ill on the plane and again in the taxi. That night I woke up with excruciating upper abdo pain (in waves, almost like contractions) and worst black liquid shits of all time. Am alternating between freezing and boiling.

No nausea or vomiting. No back pain.

Haven't eaten since Friday. Still shitting through the eye of a needle.

DP has gone out to get diaoralyte, immodium and the strongest pain relief you can buy otc here.

I would've gone to urgent care if I had had insurance but just can't afford a big bill or risk them admitting me and missing my flight.

Does it sound like pancreatitis?

I had a bit of a binge Thursday night as was end of work before our holiday and also the eurovision semi final. 1 bottle of wine and a large gin. I don't drink regularly. I eat low carb/low fat and am a bit overweight but working on losing it.

I know I'm an idiot for forgoing insurance. Believe me, will never do it again.

😭

Lol at “concerned”. No, nosy to any drama masquerading as concern ;)

Go to a hospital. No amount of money is worth your life.

How sour that lemon you’re sucking on must be. Some of us have had serious health issues ourselves and personally I would be touched if strangers showed me the concern they show on here.

Oh eff off no one’s ‘consumed’ with worry they’re just hoping OP got medical attention rather than just relying on over the counter meds.

I wasn't having a go at someone who feels like that. I was responding to the sanctimonious plea that "if information is in public people will be concerned" aka the OP should feel bad for not updating because she's made all these people concerned.

Let them be concerned. It's none of our business. I do hope OP got medical attention but she doesn't have to update us.

Another vote for needing to be seen, don't muck about with black stools and sudden debilitating abdominal pain.

Money isn’t as important as your life. This could be very series, you need to go to hospital.

Some advice from Martin money saving expert.

"If you are eligible for an EHIC but don't have one and fall ill while travelling in a country where the EHIC is valid, you can be issued with a Provisional Replacement Certificate. You'll need to organise this BEFORE treatment except in medical emergencies.
A PRC proves you're entitled to an EHIC and can be used to get you the same cover - but applying for one can be a laborious process. You or someone acting on your behalf will have to ring the Department for Work and Pension's Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 - frustratingly, you can only do this between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
You'll need to provide your name, National Insurance number, address, date of birth and the email or fax number for the specific department of the hospital or other organisation treating you overseas. If your application's successful, a PRC will then be sent to your place of treatment"

Hope you get the treatment you need and soon feel better. 😊

How on earth do you know what medical issues I do or don’t have?

These threads are always the same, OP posts something for medical attention and gradually the posts get more and more “hope everything is ok OP…. How are you op?…. Please come back an update us!!!!…. WHERE IS THE OP??”

I don’t believe for a second that every poster is personally invested in a total stranger’s illness that they’ve posted one post about on an anonymous Internet forum.

This sounded a bit American to me too, but American health insurance (except for medicare) often covers treatment abroad: mine does, and I know friends who have used it after accidents (in one case, emergency surgery following a skiing accident, all paid). Canadians, now, don't have coverage for that.

But most North Americans wouldn't do a city break like this, I don't think.

In any case go to A&E now and worry about the payment later! Even in the USA I would say that.

Which is fantastic - don’t knock it

Could have flown home by now 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yup, don't worry - you'll definitely get re-embursed. Good reciprocal healthcare costs relationship between Uk and France. See the Dr!

Hope you are okay OP. Assume by now you have either sought medical advice, or the symptoms have eased.

You can still apply for a GHIC card online and use this even if you did not apply for this before you left the UK. contact the British consulate and they will be able to assist you.

Maybe she has.
Maybe she's undergoing urgent medical treatment in the city she's staying in 🤷‍♀️

Maybe she felt better and has gone out on the piss ?

This. Black stools are nothing to play around with. PLEASE be seen, and soonest is best!

Hope you're ok OP

Did OP come back?

Hope you're ok....

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle
You misunderstood my point. It’s the mutual agreements to provide emergency medical care to each other citizens within Europe and between Europe and GB that is the fantastic part.
The EHIC GHIC card doesn’t give you the right to affordable medical treatment, the agreement between countries does. The card is just proof you’re covered by the agreements. So if you get sick without having sorted your card, you can still get treatment and it’s still covered by the international agreements. It’s just that the paperwork is a faff for everyone involved. So if you desperately need a script for antibiotics and the total bill for a drs visit + medicine comes to 50€ or something nobody is going to bother doing the paperwork, especially retroactively. If you end up needing to stay in hospital then it becomes much more important to sort the paperwork ASAP (for example by applying for the Provisional Replacement Certificate while you’re in the hospital).

I always have insurance, but still worry about health abroad especially when the children were small

Go on "see all" on the original post

So I was ill abroad many years ago and had to stay in hospital (Far East). I would sometimes sit in reception drip and all and a couple of drunk English men turned up because one had fallen over and they were demanding they be seen. They claimed to have no insurance. The receptionist asked them to use a credit card or call a relative to pay for treatment. Again they claimed to have no one to call. They were refused treatment and hobbled off shouting that they would call the British Counsel.

I understand that over 20% of people go on holiday without insurance which is shocking. Surely if you can afford a holiday then insurance is essential but some people are just plain daft (and stupid - it wont happen to me, I will just get on the next plane and pretend all is ok).